


100+ Ways to Say I Love You

by upsteadheart



Category: Chicago PD (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 22:34:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29750013
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/upsteadheart/pseuds/upsteadheart
Summary: Based off the millions of 'ways to say I love you' OTP prompts all over the internet. Here is a collection of one-shots that fill each of the prompts as I find them and write them!
Relationships: Jay Halstead & Hailey Upton, Jay Halstead/Hailey Upton
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	100+ Ways to Say I Love You

The last few nights hadn’t been the most restful of nights. Hailey was up late again with nightmares keeping her up until the wee hours of the morning.

And like always, her partner was at her side, watching her back, not letting her go through anything alone. Jay stayed up with her last night until she was eventually able to fall asleep again.

He cuddled with Hailey curled securely on his chest, rubbing her back in soft circles until her breathing evened out again, and stayed up watching over her for a little while longer after she’d finally conked back out, just to make sure she really was good, and wouldn’t be bothered again by any more of them.

But, plagued with worry as Jay had been, he didn’t get much rest himself after making sure Hailey got back to sleep and stayed sleeping peacefully.

He and Hailey stopped at Starbucks on their way into work, giving Jay the chance to stock up on a morning pick-me-up to get the day started.

But the caffeine jolt didn’t seem to last for very long. A couple of hours into their shift, Voight sent Jay and Hailey on somewhat of a road trip across town to speak with the family of their victim.

A nice, long two-hour drive alone with his girlfriend was far from a horrible task to be plagued with. With his current lack of sleep, however, driving maybe wasn’t the best thing for Jay to be doing right now.

“So, now that we’re miles away from the district, and far outta Serge’s earshot, you wanna admit to me that you’re half asleep and fighting to stay awake, or keep pretending that you’re fine?” Hailey brought up, after catching Jay’s eyelids batting more than usual.

A short sigh escaped him. “I really am fine, Hails. It’s not the first time that I don’t sleep the best and still manage to do my job the next day.” Jay attempted to sound convincing, but failing miserably to hide the truth from the one person who could read him like a book she’d written herself.

Hailey gnawed at her lip, taking it between her teeth, as she watched him drive for a minute, thinking. “You know last night meant a lot.” She brought up.

Coming down a stretch of empty road, Jay turned his head slightly to look at her with a soft smile. “When are ya gonna learn Hailey, that there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you?” Jay replied to her.

Hailey beamed at that, still trying to get used to being with someone who would do anything for her without needing a reason, excuse or reward to do so.

“I’m a work in progress, Jay. Probably will be for the rest of the time you know me. It’s an unsteady balancing act, trying to figure out how a girl who spent her entire life being screwed over by person after person that she trusted, can somehow make a relationship work with the first guy to look at her like she’s worth something, and trust that she’s safe with him.” Hailey explained.

Jay nodded his head, knowing exactly where she was coming from. “I get it, Hails. I didn’t exactly have your same upbringing, no matter my own challenges. But before you came along, I had myself convinced that I had my shot at love, messed it up, and that I would never get another chance.

Four years with you by my side, six months being with you, and now I’m starting to realize that that was the furthest thing from love, and I let myself stay with someone who would only ever want me so long as she needed something out of me, and what I needed from her took a backseat to whatever that happened to be in the moment.

I fought you tooth and nail when you tried to get me into a therapist’s office, then I realized not only how much I needed it, but how much I liked it. I finally started to put myself back together, turn a page, and see life in a different light. A light that I never woulda gotten so see without you.

It’s been a hell of a bumpy road the last few months, trying to let myself enjoy being with you, and soak up all the happiness that comes from our relationship, while that other foot still stuck in the door carries a helluva weight to drag in with the other.” Jay expressed to his girlfriend.

Man, talking to Hailey was easy. He’d never had someone like this in his life before who he could just open up and spill his guts to fearlessly.

“Like you said, I’m a work in progress too. Got a lot of baggage to carry, lot of old scars and wounds that tug and pull a little at time. But at the end of that road, and at the top of the climb, being with you’s got a helluva a nice view, that somehow always makes it worth the effort.”

Hailey couldn’t contain her smile at that, feeling the exact same way when it came to breaking down her walls brick by brick, and letting him in more and more, slowly but surely. “Guess it’s just something we’re gonna have to keep on working at together.” Jay suggested.

His girlfriend nodded her head at that, a sweet smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

“We got all the time in the world, Jay. Like I told you the night I turned down the offer with the FEDs, I don’t plan on going anywhere any time soon. I’m happy with what I got goin’ here, it’s good. That’s all I need for now.” Hailey told him.

All the time in the world. Spending all that time with her? Yeah, that was a reality Jay could be pretty content with having for himself.

He dropped his right hand to Hailey’s knee, giving it a small squeeze over the black jean material covering the cap. “That’s all I need for now too.” Jay assured her.

A bright and content smile crossed Hailey’s already stunning features. The bright morning sun shining through the windows of the Ram, lighting up her face and golden locks, reminding Jay of the ten million reasons he fell for her all over again.

A yawn suddenly escaped him, his bad night starting to catch up to him again. His hand came up off her knee and up to his mouth, covering his parted lips, as he pushed back a second incoming one.

Hailey’s hand came down to his leg now, resting on his knee. “Common, babe. Pull over.” She told him.

“Let me drive for a while, and you rest up for the rest of the drive. I promise I’ll let you drive the whole way back without any argument.” Hailey attempted to convince him.

Jay hesitated for a minute. The trained control freak in him hated giving the wheel over to anybody, wether it be his girlfriend, or a complete stranger.

But he was feeling the fatigue begin to set in a little too much now, and he’d rather fight his need for control, than to crash them somewhere.

“Alright, babe,” Jay sighed, “you’re right.” He finally caved, making a move to turn into the gas station coming up towards the end of the stretch he was currently driving down.

“Course I’m right. When have I ever been wrong?” Jay snorted at that, making them both laugh.

“You know what? Don’t answer that.” Hailey begged him, now realizing what a can of worms that one could lead to.

Jay chuckled, as he pulled into the gas station, and put the car into park, before taking the keys out of the ignition, and stepping out of the driver’s seat, coming around to the other side.

Hailey did the same on her side, meeting him half way. An adorable laugh escaped her, as Jay caught her with her back up against the side of the truck.

Her arms fell around his neck, as Jay bent his head down to capture her lips between his. When they broke apart, Hailey looked up at him with a teasing grin spread across her lips, holding her hand out for the keys.

Jay released a sigh, before giving them up, and placing the keyring with his bullet keychain, the key to his apartment, the spare to her place which held the promise to someday soon be theirs, his gym pass, and of course, the car key into her awaiting hand.

Hailey dropped a kiss against his cheek, before coming around to the driver’s side door, and slipping into the rig. She popped the seat up a little to fit her sizeably shorter height, before popping the car key into the ignition.

“Settled?” Hailey asked her boyfriend, as Jay adjusted the passenger seat to his own height, and dropped his head against the headrest behind it.

“Good to go.” He confirmed groggily, his eyes already beginning to fall closed, his resolve and attempts to fight sleep beginning to dwindle fast.

Hailey smiled in his direction. “Sweet dreams, babe.” She breathed. “Only as long as I’m dreamin’ about you.” He returned cheesily, only making her smile expand wider, as she rolled her eyes at his corny attempts.

She turned the key in the ignition, before taking the truck back into drive, and pulling out of the gas station, back onto the main road, Jay fast asleep beside her.

The sight of him never failing to make her heart skip a beat.

La vie est belle, indeed.


End file.
